Dynamic Optimization Model for a Heat and Power Plant

Industrial facilities are always seeking the optimal process configuration. Whether it is introduction of new process equipment or the load management on existing ones, optimization guides the decision making process. In this work, we are considering an existing facility with a goal to minimize an objective function (e.g. economic, environmental, etc.). This objective function is subject to seasonally varying process demands and restrictive operational constraints with non-linearity, often, adding a degree of difficulty to the problem. This case study focuses on an existing heat and power plant that generates steam and electricity to meet the process demands of a crude processing facility. The existence of a global minima will be contemplated, and a dynamic model will be developed, which will optimize the selection of steam and power generators and the loads on which they operate based on changing process demands.